Skip to content

Here’s What Your Work Laptop Says About You

  • by

A viral TikTok video about “what your work laptop says about your company” has sparked widespread debate about modern workplace culture.

The video, which has been seen more than 6.7 million times, was uploaded this month by @liljehu and jokingly outlines the meanings behind several different laptops.

@liljehu What’s your favorite work laptop? #corporatetok #worklife #corporatelife #joblife #workhumor #corporatehumor #jobhumor#greenscreen ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

According to @liljehu, who produces satirical content for those who work from home, the type of laptop you are provided for your job can provide an insight into your company’s structure.

The video begins with @liljehu arguing that any worker with a Dell laptop should start looking for a new job given that their employer likely has “cash flow issues.”

briefcase

If you have been provided with a Lenovo Thinkpad, @liljehu adds, your employer only views “you as a number solely for your productivity.”

But if you have a MacBook Pro, your company “probably has some extra cash to burn and are spending it unwisely.”

The video was an instant hit, with thousands of commenters offering their opinion on @liljehu’s satirical interpretation.

Some users say they weren’t given a laptop at all.

“They told me to use my own laptop,” one user bemoaned.

“I just started a new job and they gave me a DESKTOP,” another added. “For a wfh job. I was so insulted lol.”

Others felt that the video’s description was impressively accurate.

“As far as I can tell, that’s SPOT ON,” one commenter wrote.

“Correct on Thinkpad,” a second TikToker said.

But many appeared to disagree as well.

“Well they sent me a Thinkpad and two additional monitors and a dock,” one TikToker said. “Seems good to me.”

“I work for a not for profit and I’m a nurse,” another replied. “The Dell is just good money management at this point.”

Although the video was only a parody, many users saw truth in the description. One user who claimed to own a Thinkpad said his company had gone as far as to block his access to social media.

“Not a single lie detected (not typed from my Thinkpad because TikTok is blocked there for productivity reasons),” they said.

web_crawlr

We crawl the web so you don’t have to.

Sign up for the Daily Dot newsletter to get the best and worst of the internet in your inbox every day.

The topic was such a success that @liljehu has since released numerous other videos detailing his thoughts on other laptops: If you were given a desktop computer, your company is run by boomers. If it’s a Toshiba, you may be working for a company “on the black market.”

The Daily Dot reached out to @liljehu to inquire about his viral series but did not hear back.

*First Published: Sep 23, 2022, 3:39 pm CDT

Mikael Thalen

Mikael Thalen is a tech and security reporter based in Seattle, covering social media, data breaches, hackers, and more.

Mikael Thalen